The dream crumbles as Wichita will fall short now
As we entered the last fortnight of the 2042 season, the Aviators really fell apart, they were outscored 21-54 on the week and never got close to returning any other result than 0-7 on the week. I can’t thank the fans enough for their support, last season our average was around the 21K mark, this year our worst has been above 25K. As we opened the final series, over 41K turned up in a show of support. I don’t know what else to say, this season has run its course, now somehow, we have to upgrade our pitching staff. With probably around $10-20 million to do that, it’s a real shit show, we might look into preparing some “10 years of futility” patches? They’ll soon be needed.
Games 153, 154 & 155 vs San Antonio Outlaws
9/22 vs San Antonio L 3-9 (37,626)
9/23 vs San Antonio L 3-10 (37,612)
9/24 vs San Antonio L 1-9 (28,458)
Two down after the top of the first in the series opener, it was 2-1 down and then 8-1 before we got our second run. Hector Garza managed to go 3-4with a run scored. Even being the team that scored twice in the first innings of game two didn’t help.
Jose Montoya had shelled five runs and three walks before the fourth innings was over. Duane Whitley Jr was the only Aviator to get two hits and scored once. The crowd walked with their feet and less than 29,000 turned up for the final game of the Outlaws series. They all left early too as it only took three innings for San Antonio to put six runs on the board. Duane Whitley Jr got Wichita’s first run with a third innings long ball and ended up 3-5. In the three games we scored 1 run, 3 runs and no runs before the Outlaws put 5, 8 and six runs on the board.
.
Games 156, 157 & 158 @ Las Vegas Hustlers
9/25 @ Las Vegas L 3-5
9/26 @ Las Vegas L 4-10
9/27 @ Las Vegas L 3-4
In Las Vegas we opened the series 5-0 down before we troubled the scorer although we scored three in the seventh to flatter us. In game two we were another 5-0 down before we scored one, which was no use, as Outlaws scored another five next innings. Matt Chambers pinch hit for Luis Maldonado in the seventh and went 2-2, scoring both times. The final game we actually tied it at 3-3 in the fifth innings before coughing up the winner in the sixth. Juan Hernandez got two of Wichita’s six hits and scored once. In the three games Hustlers had their tally of 19 runs total by the end of the sixth innings.
Game 159 vs Boise Spuds
9/28 vs Boise L 4-7 (40,107)
We equalled our week’s top score of four runs in the game against Boise. The only trouble was the four runs were scored in the bottom of the ninth when Aviators were already 7-0 down. Hector Garza came through at the end with a three-run homer. We now face Boise in the last three games of 2042 needing two wins to even match 2041’s tally, having not won a single game so far against the Spuds in Thomas Magnum Field.
Standings as at September 28th
Record v Johnson League
| Frontier | HW | HL | AW | AL | Atlantic | HW | HL | AW | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Atlantic City | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Calgary | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | Brooklyn | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Edmonton | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | Charlotte | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Las Vegas | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Charm City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Mexico City | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | Jacksonville | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Phoenix | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | Montreal | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| San Antonio | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | New Orleans | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Wichita | X | X | X | X | Rockville | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| TOTALS | 15 | 28 | 22 | 30 | TOTALS | 12 | 20 | 10 | 22 |
Batter of the Week was 31-yr-old Duane Whitley Jr was the most productive hitter, who in four game, hit .500/.529/.875 with one walk, two doubles and a homer. He tallied two runs scored and four driven in.